Vehicle saddle



May 18 ,1926. I,585;405

- F. MESINGER mucus SADDLE Filed Jan. 16. 1926 {sheets-sheet 1 v M A'ITORNEY May 18 1926.

' 1,585,405 F. MESINGER VEHICLE SADDLE Filed Jan. 16, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented May 18, 1926.

UNITED STATES FREDERIQK. MESINGER, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

VEHICLE SADDLE.

Application filed January 16, 1926. Serial No. 81,652.

This invention relates to vehicle saddles, and more particularly to a saddle of simple and inexpensive construction for bicycles, velocipedes and similar vehicles.

Broadly considered, it is the primary object and purpose of my present improvements to provide novel means whereby the several elements composing the saddle top including the leather covering for the padding material may be easily, quickly and rigidly secured in connected relation with each other.

It is another object of the invention to provide a construction whereby the connect- 5 ing means for the parts of the saddle top may also be utilized for the purpose of connecting elements of a cushioning system to the under side of the saddle top.

In one practical example of my present invention, the saddle top consists of two rigid metal body plates between which the marginal edge of the leather covering for the padding material extending over the upper body plate is engaged. Preferably, the material of the lower body plate is stamped out at spaced points and formed into attaching clips for parts of the cushioning system, and the upper plate having spaced lugs struck therefrom to extend through the openings thus formed in the lower plate and adapted to be bent over and clinched upon the ends of the respective clips, said lugs thus serving the two-fold purpose of securely closing the clips and also uniting the two body plates with each other to securely clamp the edge of the leather covering material be tween said plates.

It is a further general object of the invention to provide a new vehicle saddle structure whereby the assemblage of the sev eral elements may be materially expedited and production costs thus reduced to a mini mum.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved vehicle saddle and in the form, construction and relative arrangement of its several parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, wherein I have disclosed several simple and practical embodiments of the present improvements, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts VIEWS,

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view partly broken away illustrating one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of a saddle illustrating an alternative construction;

F 1g. 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a detail section taken on the line 66 of Fig; 4.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 thereof, the saddle structure includes upper and lower body plates 5 and 6 respectively, which are in the form of rigid sheet metal stampings of predetermined shape or contour and each of which has its marginal edge portion curved as indicated at 7 and 8 respectively, to present a convex upper surface and a concave lower surface.

Upon the upper body plate 5 the hair or other suitable padding material shown at 9 is adapted to be arranged, said padding being covered and confined upon the body plate by a sheet of leather 10 corresponding in general outline, shape or form to the shape of the body plate but of greater surface area than the latter. As show, the marginal edge portion of the leather covering sheet is turned throughout the several inwardly between the opposed curved edge portions 7 and 8 of the two body plates and is adapted to be securely clamped and held therebetween in the assemblage and attachment of the'body plates to each other.

As clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the lower body plate 6 at spaced points has portions struck therefrom forming the openings 11, each of said struck out portions remaining integrally connected at one of its ends with the body plate and being formed into a clip 12, the free end of which terminates in an angularly bent flange 13. As ierein shown, two of these clips 12 are thus provided upon the body plate at its rear end and one at the forward end thereof. The

rear clips are adapted to surround the transverse portion of a yoke rod 14, the vertically depending portions of which extend through the usual cushioning springs indicate at 15. The front clip 12 is adapted to be engaged with the front end of the main spring 16 of the cushioning system. Since the elements composing the cushioning system constitute no essential part of my present improven'ients and may be of any usual form and construct-ion, they are not herein shown in detail.

The upper body plate 5 of the saddle structure at properly spaced points have the pairs of tongues or lugs 17 struclr therefrom which are normally disposed at right angles to the plane of the body plate and adapted to project through the respective openings 11 in the plate 6 when said plates are assembled upon each other. After the plates have been assembled and the edge of the leather covering 10 engaged between the marginal edges of said plates and the parts of the cushioning system engaged in the clips 12, the tongues or lugs 17 are then bent inwardly and downwardly under pressure and upon the ends of the respective clips 12 as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, thus tightly clinching the ends of the clips upon the plate 5 and at the same time drawing the two plates 5 and 6 together to securely clamp their marginal edge portions against the inturned edge of the leather covering 10 and thus rigidly connect and secure the several parts in assembled relation with each other. It will be noted that the angular flanges 13 on the clips are positioned closely adjacent to the lugs 17 which act stops and effectually prevent any longitudinal movement of the clip ends when the clips are placed under strain in the functioning of the cushioning system.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that I eliminate the use of bolts and other similar fastening elements for the parts of the saddle structure or for the purpose of connecting the elements of the cushioning system to the under side of the saddle and provide such fastening means as integral unitary parts of the saddle structure. Therefore, it is apparent that the operation of assembling the various elements may be greatly expedited and the possibility of detachment of the cushioning means from the saddle or loosening of the connections therebetween obviated.

In Figs. 4-, 5 and 6 of the drawings, 1 have shown an alternative form of the invention wherein the lower body plate of the saddle structure is merely provided at a number of spaced points with transversely elongated slots 18 to receive the single lugs 19 struck from the upper plate 5 and which are thereafter bent downwardl and clinched upon the lower plate 6, thus clamping the two plates and the covering sheet of leather in assembled relation as above described. In this case, short screws or bolts 20 are positioned through coinciding openings in the plates 5 and 6 and carry clamping nuts 21 whereby separate attaching clips for the parts of the cushioning system may be secured to the under side of the saddle. However, any other desired attaching means for these clips may be substituted for the bolts 20, it being understood that the essential feature of both constructions resides in the provision of the bendable tongues or lugs projecting from the upper body plate through openings in the lower body plate and whereby the two plates may be securely connected in assembled relation with the leather covering for the padding material.-

From the foregoing description, considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and several advantages of the described embodiments of the invention will be clearly understood. It will be seen that I have produced a very simple saddle construction for bicycles, velocipedes and the like wherein the operation of assembling and connecting the several component parts thereof with each other may be greatly expedited while at the same time the saddle will withstand long and severe usage without liability of separation of its parts as might be occasioned through the loosening or loss of bolts or other separate fastening elements as leretofore employed. Also in the construction shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, it will be apparent that greater security of the fastening connection between the parts of the cushioning system and the saddle is obtained so that the cushioning system will effectively function at all times to absorb road shocks and jars and thereby relieve the rider of discomfort incident thereto. I have herein referred to several practical forms of my present improvements, though it will nevertheless be understood that the essential features thereof might also be incorporated in other alter native structures, and l accordingly reser e the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes therein as might be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A vehicle saddle comprising a pair of body plates, padding extending over one of said body plates and a flexible covering sheet for said padding having its marginal edge turned inwardly between the edges of said body plates, one of said body plates having spaced openings therein and the other body plate provided with lugs struck therefrom to project through said openings when the parts are assembled and said lugs adapted to be bent down and clinched upon parts of the first named plate to secure said body plates and said cover sheet in assembled relation.

2. A vehicle saddle comprising a pair of body plates, padding arranged over oneof said plates and a flexible cover sheet for said padding having its marginal edge turned inwardly between the edges 'of said body plates, one of said body plates having parts struck therefrom and formed into clips to receive parts of the spring cushioning system, and means for securing said body plates and cover sheet in assembled relation and also engaging said clips to retain the latter in closed position.

3. A vehicle saddle comprising a pair of body plates, paddin arranged over one of said plates and a i lexible cover sheet for said padding having its marginal edge turned inwardly between the edges of said body plates, one of said body plates having parts struck therefrom and formed into clips to receive parts of the spring cushioning system, and lugs struck from the other body plate adapted to be clinched upon said clips to close the latter and also retain the body plates and the cover sheet in assembled relation.

4,. A vehicle saddle comprising a pair of body plates, padding arranged over one of said plates and a flexible cover sheet for said padding having its marginal edge turned inwardly between the edges of said body plates, one of said body plates having parts struck therefrom and formed into clips to receive parts of the spring cushioning system, spaced pairs of lugs struck from the body plate to project through the openings in the first named plate produced in the formation of said clips, and the lugs in each pair adapted to be bent downwardly upon the clip ends to thereby close the clips and also retain the body plates and said flexible cover sheet in assembled relation.

5. A vehicle saddle comprising a pair of body plates, padding arranged over one of said plates and a flexible cover sheet for said padding having its marginal edge turned inwardly between the egdes of said body plates, one of said body plates having parts struck therefrom and formed into clips to receive parts of the spring cushioning system, spaced pairs of lugs struck from the body plate to project through the openings in the first named plate produced in the-formation of said clips, and the lugs in each pair adapted to be bent downwardly upon the clip ends to thereby close the clips and also retain the body plates and said flexible cover sheet in assembled relation, the end of each clip having an angularly projecting flange and said lugs adapted to cooperate with said flange and constituting a stop to prevent opening of the clip.

6. In a vehicle saddle, a pair of metal body plates, a flexible top covering for the saddle having its marginal edge turned inwardly between the edges of said plates, and said plates having integrally formed parts adapted to be cooperatively engaged to rigidly connect said plates in assembled relation and simultaneously clamp the marginal edge of the top covering between said plates.

7. In a vehicle saddle, a pair of metal body plates each having a part struck from the plane of the plate and said parts adapted to be cooperatively engaged to rigidly connect the plates in assembled relation, and a flexible top covering for the saddle having its marginal edge turned inwardly and clampingly secured between the edges of said plates.

8. In a vehicle saddle, a pair of metal body plates each having a part struck from the plane of the plate and said parts adapted to be cooperatively engaged to rigidly connect the plates in assembled relation, the said part of one of the plates being formed to provide means for attaching an element of a cushioning system for the saddle to said plate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

FREDERICK MESINGER. 

